Ten Items or Less
by lemacd
Summary: "The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra." Modern AU: He rescued her in the express check-out, and she rescued him from a life of ordinary. Written for silly-beggar and the Team Bates Secret Santa Exchange. Please R and R.


_A/N: This was written for the Team Bates Secret Santa Exchange on tumblr... my first banna and first modern au. It was written for **silly-beggar** , I hope you have a wonderful holiday with some of life's little extras to make it special :)_

 _I don't own Downton Abbey or these characters or much of anything really..._

Ten Items or Less

 **Wine**

Anna Smith mindlessly shoved the last item from her basket onto the check-out. The entire week had been a constant schedule of meetings and phone calls and all she wanted was to get home and put her tired feet up. She'd be there now if she hadn't kept putting off a trip to the market for some essentials.

To say it was her least favorite chore would be an understatement, but it came with living on her own. If she needed milk or ran out of tea, it was up her. She valued her independence and was proud that she took care of herself and had for the better part of her life. But when she was standing in a slow line in heels that pinched her toes, it occurred to her that it might be nice to have someone in her life that could help shoulder the mundane.

"You have too many," a strained voice said from behind her. Anna ignored it at first, unaware that the statement was directed at her. "This is an express line. You have too many."

She turned and looked at the woman and then at her items waiting to be rung up. "I-I'm sorry?"

"Ten items or less," the woman continued rudely. "Or can't you count?"

"I have...," she quickly counted. "Ok, I have one extra, but surely you don't expect me to move now, I've already put all my things-"

"I expect people to follow the rules," the woman complained louder in the direction of the people behind her as if they were naturally on her side. A few other customers nodded, clearly not thrilled to have to wait.

"But it's just one item," Anna shrugged, her voice rising with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance.

"And next time it will be two and then three," the woman grumbled as if to the air around them. She turned to Anna and jabbed a finger in her direction with a sneer. "People like you think you can just keep bending the rules. What makes your time more important than mine?"

"It's not," Anna defended, feeling more exasperated by the second. "Please, you're making a scene. If I promise to never do it again-"

"There's always one," a man muttered further back in the line.

"I'm sorry, but it's only one item!" Anna felt heat rising on her cheeks and bit her lip in an attempt to maintain her composure. "Surely one item won't make a bit of difference!"

"It's the principle of the thing," the woman spat at her, having none of her excuses. "Count your items and get in the..." Anna watched as the woman's face fell and seemed to go pale. She turned to see what it was that finally shut her up.

"There." The man in line before Anna had taken one of her items and put it with his. "Now peace can reign once more." She stared at him, her mouth open. He was a tall man, despite leaning on the cane that he held in his right hand. He had broad shoulders and seemed to loom over everything, but his face was gentle. His lips turned up in a very slight smile, but his eyes were incredibly kind looking. The deep wrinkles at his temples instantly made her think he must smile a lot. She shook her head and snapped out of her momentary shock.

"No, I couldn't possibly let you to do that," Anna said quickly, reaching to take it back from him. Of all her purchases, he picked the most expensive; a bottle of wine she hoped to enjoy with a long soak in the tub.

"Shh," he said, brushing her hand away from it and giving her another smile. Before she could do anything more, the check-out girl passed it through the price reader and put it with his things. Anna swore she saw an amused grin on the girl's face.

Stunned, Anna watched as he paid and gathered his bags. She stood frozen to the spot, about to say something when the check-out girl started to run her items through. She quickly opened her purse for her wallet, praying she had cash so she could repay him.

"Wait, I need to-"

Anna became flustered as a collective groan went through the restless line behind her, causing her to drop her bag. She quickly bent down to gather the few things that spilled out but when she stood back up, he was gone. She noticed, however, that he had left the wine behind. She hastily paid the cashier, threw everything in her shopping bag and bolted for the door.

She looked everywhere for any clue which direction he might have gone, but she had missed him entirely. She closed her eyes and let out a frustrated laugh. For a man with a cane, he sure moved fast. Thankful for the random act of kindness, Anna hopped into her car and headed home.

By the time she reached her apartment, she had replayed the entire episode a few times. She vacillated between anger over the way she had been treated by the people in line and laughing out loud at being rescued by a total stranger. A totally handsome stranger who left before she could pay him or thank him or even ask his name.

With a sigh she dropped her groceries on the kitchen counter and began to unpack it all. She pulled the wine out of the bag and rummaged through her cluttered drawer for the corkscrew. She would pour a glass and toast to him, whoever he was.

The next thing she knew, she was staring at the bottle and grinning like a fool. Somehow when she wasn't looking, John Bates had written his name and phone number on the label.

 **Bread**

John Bates was surprised and more than a little thrilled that the beautiful blonde he rescued in the express check-out texted his number the next day. It was an inspired move, not one that he typically would be bold enough to make, and it paid off. Now they were sitting together at a small shop, enjoying coffee and conversation.

"So tell me about your job," Anna said with an eagerness that convinced John that she was genuinely interested. "Have you always been interested in social work?"

He told her about his job as director at a community center called Outreach, a place that saved his life and gave him a fresh start when he was sent there for community sentence for being young and stupid. Then he told her about the car accident that wrecked his knee, about his battle with painkillers that wrecked his marriage. He put it all on the table.

"I don't judge people for what's in their past," she said, giving him an encouraging smile. "You're clearly an incredible man for overcoming so much and wanting to help others. That says a lot more to me about you than the mistakes you've made."

John released a long breath in relief. "And what do you do, Miss Smith?"

When it was Anna's turn, she told him how much she loved her job at Crawley and Associates where she worked her way up from an intern on the second floor to becoming an executive assistant on the top floor.

"The Crawleys are major sponsors of Outreach, have been since before I started there," John told her, and she was tickled that they had such a connection. "Robert is a friend. A really good friend."

"I work for Mary," Anna nodded. "I love the Crawleys, they're like family. I suppose we would have met each other someday eventually."

"It totally would have been worth it to wait," he said, making a face. "But I'm so glad we didn't have to."

When it was time to settle the bill, Anna insisted that it was only fair that she pay as she still owed him for the bottle of wine.

After a solid five minutes of arguing with her about it, John relented. "Next time you will let me treat you."

"You seem pretty sure there will be a next time, Mr. Bates," she teased, her heart skipping a beat.

"I'm pretty sure I want there to be a next time," he replied, his eyes serious but soft. Hopeful.

"I'm pretty sure I want that, too."

 **Cheese**

"Take care of yourself, Joe."

John hung up his phone and stared at it for a good three seconds before swiping until he found the picture of him and Anna. When he asked if he could take the picture, she answered by leaning into him. She wore a light blue hoodie and her hair was tied loosely behind her head, and she was simply the most gorgeous woman he had ever met. He couldn't stop looking at her, not even sure if he was smiling in the shot. He had to be, he figured, because he was sure smiling now.

"Heya, Mr. Bates!"

John nearly dropped his phone. He looked up to see Trevor, one of the Friday night faithful at Outreach taking a single bound to sit on the corner of his desk. The kid was a charmer, definitely one of the more challenging boys that he worked with to be sure, but just so damn likable.

"Oooh, who's she?!" The teen grabbed his phone before he could pull it out of reach.

"Come on, Trev, give it." He went to snatch it back but Trevor was too quick.

"She's a babe!" he said, a little too impressed for John not to catch the backhanded insult. Trevor smirked at him. "Awww, she must be your sister."

"I don't have a sister," John said, making another attempt for his phone and succeeding. "And watch how you talk about her."

"From that look on your face when I came in, I'd hope she isn't your sister. Does your phone have drool protection?" The kid laughed at his joke. "You gonna see her tonight?"

"No, as a matter of fact," John answered, wishing he didn't sound so disappointed. "Mr. Molesley is ill and I gotta stay and look at your face all night. So a little pity, please." He slipped his phone into his pocket and sighed before giving Trevor a lighthearted clap on the shoulder. "Something you needed?"

"Oh, I just came to get a basketball," he replied, grabbing one from the bin John kept locked in his office when the gym was being used for other things. "Can I...?"

"Take them all, I'll be with you guys in a minute," John instructed, closing his door once Trevor dragged the basketballs through. He pulled out the phone again and pressed the familiar number and waited.

"Hello you," the sweet voice of Anna answered after a single ring.

"Hello you," John answered back, smiling at her giggle at the other end. "Anna, I'm really sorry but I have to cancel tonight."

"Oh?" He was oddly thrilled to hear disappointment in her voice.

"Joe is feeling sick and I have to cover open gym for him tonight. It goes pretty late, I'm afraid." Open gym on Friday nights was Joe's idea so the kids in the neighborhood could have a safe place to hang out and stay out of trouble. It was hugely popular. "I could tell them it's canceled but most of them have shown up already and, well..." John trailed off and let out a long breath. "Are you free tomorrow? I hate to wait another week to see you."

"I'm afraid I can't tomorrow," Anna answered regretfully. "I'm spending the day with a friend, I won't be back until late on Sunday."

"Tragic," John muttered. "I'm really sorry. I could kick them out-"

"No! I'm disappointed but I love that you are committed to those kids."

"Thank you for being so wonderful," he smiled into his phone. "I'll call you, though, ok?"

"You better." With that Anna ended the call.

An hour later John was leaning against the wall near the doors watching one half of his charges shoot basketballs in the air while the others were strewn around the gym in small groups, talking and laughing. So far the night had been quite uneventful; the only fight he had to negotiate was over the choice of music.

"This must be the place," a soft voice beside him said, jolting him from his thoughts.

"Anna! You're... I mean, what are you...," John stammered before shaking his head and taking a deep breath. "You came!" She laughed at him and held up a stack of boxes.

"Yes, I came. And since you bailed on our dinner date, I brought pizza. There should be enough for everyone, I think." She chewed her bottom lip even as she smiled up at him. "I hope that is ok. It's just... it's just that I couldn't wait a week to see you either."

"You're amazing, so amazing," John whispered, leaning down to kiss her cheek as he took her delicious burden from her hands. "You didn't have to do this, though."

"You know the rules, Mr. Bates, no public displays of- hey, pizza!" Suddenly they were swarmed by hungry young people, eagerly helping themselves to the boxes. For the next few minutes, John supervised the distribution of food while Anna stood nearby observing the chaos with glee. The last two girls were helping themselves when John handed Anna a plate and gestured for her to hurry and get something for herself.

"Is this your girlfriend?" one of the girls asked curiously. Anna ducked her head briefly, but then looked him the eye.

"Yes," she answered before he could say a word, and she reached her free hand out to the girls. "I'm Anna. I'm Mr. Bates' girlfriend."

 **Butter**

When Anna woke up, her head felt heavy and her temples were throbbing. The curtains in her room were drawn closed, though she couldn't remember doing it. In fact she couldn't remember getting herself to bed. She was suddenly startled by a gentle knock on her door.

"Anna?"

"John?" she called out as she tried to sit up. "What-"

The door opened slowly. She saw the tray first, but then her eyes were fixed on him as he hobbled to her bedside without his cane. She clutched her hands to her chest as it all started to come to her. She had been so tired the night before and asked him if it was ok if they just stayed in and watched a dvd instead of going out. She could barely remember which film he picked.

"How are you feeling?"

"Much better, thank you. Have you been here all night?"

"You have a very comfortable sofa," he teased, setting the tray on her lap. He pulled the curtains open enough to give them light and then lowered himself onto the edge of her bed. "You fell asleep right after the movie started. I was just going to put you to bed and leave but you were burning up with fever so I stayed."

"You didn't have to."

"Just leave you alone to your suffering?" John asked, pretending to be wounded. Anna shook her head with a smile and looked down at her breakfast. She reached for the cup and took a hearty sip as she admired his handiwork, including the small vase of flowers. She reached for her napkin when suddenly she began to laugh.

"John? John, what is that?"

"It's butter," he said slowly, wondering if it was a trick question. "It's for the toast."

"There must be an entire pound of butter here."

"Well, I..." John swallowed, turning a most curious shade of pink. "I just... oh. I guess I did go overboard with the butter." He dropped his face into his hand with an embarrassed groan.

"I happen to like butter," she giggled. "This is very thoughtful. I've never had anyone take care of me like this." She was amused again as she spread a generous helping of butter on her warm toast. She sensed John had something he wanted to say. "What is it?"

"I was worried last night," he said, his voice serious as he stumbled for words. "I have never, um, I mean... I knew you just needed rest and that you'd feel better but it made me realize how much I..." He swallowed and shook his head.

"I know," Anna said quietly. She reached out her hand and waited for him to take it. "I know how you feel." He exhaled slowly, taking her dainty hand in his. "I know."

 **Chocolate**

John Bates was feeling pretty good about himself. He had picked a good restaurant and remembered to buy chocolate and flowers. Even the present he gave Anna seemed to be the right choice. He was pretty sure he was hitting all the major points for romance and managed to pull off the perfect Valentine's Day, which is no less than she deserved.

"What are you grinning about, Mr. Bates?"

"I just spent a perfect evening with the perfect woman," he said, his eyes shining as he looked at her tucked at his side, her arm wrapped around his and her head resting against his arm. "I'm not even sure my feet are on the ground. Would you mind checking?"

Anna laughed, the lightest and happiest sound he thought he had ever heard. "It was a pretty good night," she agreed. "Thank you for the earrings, I love them."

"I love you." And he meant it. Barely six months since he met her and John knew he was completely and utterly head over heels in love with Anna Smith. "I don't know what I did to deserve someone like you."

"And what makes you think I'm so special?" Anna dismissed with a small laugh.

"You are special, and I know it because of the way I feel when I'm with you," John answered. "Sometimes I think my heart didn't start to beat until I met you." Anna raised her head and stared at him. It wasn't the first time he had said such things to her, but it never failed to take her breath away.

"I love you, too, John," Anna answered.

When they reached Anna's apartment building, John let out a small whine. "I guess even the most perfect evenings must come to an end." She turned to face him and pretended to pick a few pieces of lint off his coat.

"I don't know," she replied. "You could come up, if you'd like. I can make coffee." She tilted her head and twisted her lips in a mischievous smile. "In the morning."

John learned that perfect nights never end. They just become perfect mornings.

 **Toilet Tissue**

Anna hummed along with the music on the radio as she bustled around the kitchen preparing lunch. It was the least she could do to thank him for fixing her bathroom sink. Not to mention the clog in her bathtub drain and the handle on the toilet. Last weekend he spent the better part of their Saturday together fixing her thermostat and the broken hinge on her oven door. She was hesitant when he first offered to do all those things for her, but he insisted he didn't mind and she had to admit that she enjoyed discovering what a handy man he was to have around.

Suddenly she heard a loud thud in her bathroom followed by a string of words that nearly made her blush.

"John? Are you all right?" She rushed to the bathroom door and peered inside. She covered her mouth to keep from laughing at the sight of her boyfriend's long legs sticking out from under the vanity. "What happened?"

There was no answer, just his legs kicking as he struggled to get unstuck from his cramped work space. When he finally managed to sit up, he was holding a hand to his nose. He pulled it away only slightly but Anna could already see the blood dripping down his face. He reached for the roll of toilet paper but only a few useless sheets tore off while he continued to bleed all over.

"Oh, god! What happened?" she gasped as she tried to climb by him and reach for one of the hand towels folded on a shelf above the toilet. She sat on the commode and placed a hand gently on the back of his head and held the towel up to his face. John held it to his nose and tilted his head back slightly, giving her a look of pain and embarrassment. "What did you do to yourself? Is it broken?"

"I don't think so," he answered, checking the towel and putting it back. "So stupid. I was trying to loosen the coupling but I couldn't get a good angle, so I had to... well, you saw me sprawled out. I tried again but my hand slipped and I dropped the wrench."

"On your face?" she asked and he rolled his eyes at the obviousness of it. "Sorry."

"It made me come up quick and-" he winced, touching the side of his head. "I slammed my head against something."

"You poor thing," Anna cried, tenderly running her fingers across the top of his head and finding where he bumped his head. "Ohh that's going to be huge!" John nodded, pulled the cloth away from his face and used it to wipe the blood off his hands and face. He gestured that he wanted to stand up and instantly Anna moved to give him room. She followed him into the kitchen where he finished cleaning himself up.

"Anna," he said after a long exasperated sigh. "Remind me again why your landlord doesn't take care of these problems?"

"I tell him and he says he puts it on a list and will get to it."

"You pay all that rent for the tiniest apartment I've ever seen and it's falling apart around you," John said, his hands flailing the more he got annoyed. "It isn't right."

"I know," she agreed helplessly. "But what else can I do?"

"You can move in with me," he said.

"Yeah, right..." she laughed, but soon realized he wasn't kidding. "Wait, you're serious?"

"I am, Anna, very serious." John tossed the towel aside and moved closer to her. "There are practical reasons, of course, but the truth is that I hate being away from you. I want us to come home to each other after work and eat all our meals together. I want to kiss you goodnight and good morning." He paused and reached for her hand. He stared at her slim fingers curl delicately around his as he brought his other hand to cover them. "I know it's a big commitment but phone calls and weekends aren't enough anymore. I want more of you in my life."

Anna continued to stare wide-eyed at him as she thought about everything he said. Finally she nodded, slowly at first and then vigorously with a huge smile. "I want that too. Everything you just said. I want more of you in my life."

 **Tea**

John paced around the house, nervously tapping his cane for the few moments he stopped by the front window to look out to see if she was home. He wished she had let him accompany her when she went before the hearing panel but Green would have been there and Anna was sure he would lose his temper just being in the same room with the rat bastard.

He wished she had called or sent a text or something. The fact that it was nearly 7pm and he hadn't heard anything made him anxious that things didn't go well. No, Robert assured him that Anna had full Crawley support and that meant the world to Anna. She wanted to be believed more than she wanted justice. He, on the other hand, wanted the man dead.

He saw the familiar headlights of Anna's car turn into the drive and he breathed a huge sigh of relief. He quickly went into the kitchen and filled the kettle.

"I'm home," she called as she closed the front door and tossed her keys into the bowl on the small side table in the hall.

He stood waiting in eager anticipation, the kettle in his hand frozen mid-air over the stove. "Well?"

"It's over," she sighed wearily. "The committee declared me sufficiently sexually harassed and sent Alex on his way. He's been fired." She gave a short laugh. "You should have seen it. People applauded as security escorted him to the elevator."

"Elevator? What, there wasn't an open window on the seventh floor?"

"John, please..." Anna closed her eyes and inhaled.

"You're right," he said, putting his hand up. "It's over and we should just put it behind us."

Anna gave a short laugh and rolled her eyes as she dropped into a chair at the kitchen table. "I'd love to forget, but I don't think that will be happening too soon. I returned from the meeting to find six cups of tea sitting on my desk with cheery little notes calling me a hero." John laughed out loud.

"Well, you're strong and brave," he nodded with a smile. "You took down a menace. You are a hero, Anna." She nodded but didn't say anything in response. The silence lingered for a minute until he saw her trembling.

"Anna?" John set the kettle down and rushed to her side, gently putting a hand on her shoulder. She quickly jumped up into his arms. "Hey, hey... everything is all right, now. It's over." He couldn't really say he was surprised. Anna had been so brave since the entire ordeal started, but now that it was over it seemed only right that she finally give into her emotions.

"I know," she sniffed into his shirt. "But I feel so stupid. I mean, I made excuses for him. I defended him when you told me to be careful. I couldn't see what he really was and it only made him bolder. You met him one time and you knew! Why didn't I listen to you?"

John swallowed and held her close, soothing her with soft brushes of his hand across her back. "I didn't want to be right. I wish to God I had been wrong." He pushed her back and lowered his head, willing her to look into his eyes. "But it's over. Nothing bad is going to happen again. I won't let it."

She nodded, but the tears were still falling. He lowered himself onto a chair and pulled her on to his lap and held her until she finished crying.

"Mary wants me to press criminal charges," she said, sounding so tired. "Attempted assault or something. I don't know..."

"He attempted," John said, suddenly snickering. "Until you poured that cup of tea in his lap. Second degree burns on his-"

"John!" Anna sat up, giving his arm a slap before melting into a fit of giggles.

"What? It's my favorite part of the whole story!"

"Stop, it's not funny!" she laughed until until tears ran down her face, this time from relief. John wiped them away slowly as he brought a hand up to cup her face. The smile never left his face, but his eyes were serious.

"You're right, there's nothing funny about what happened. But it's all right to laugh and you should feel proud, because I am. I love you and I'm incredibly proud of you." Anna closed her eyes and leaned into his touch and nodded. A moment later she sat up and looked at her watch.

"It's late," she stated plainly as she stood up from his lap. "I want to go to bed."

"Of course," John agreed. "You must be exhausted."

"Not yet," she grinned coyly, pulling him with her by the hand.

 **Flour**

For years it was a little joke between them, that at the end of their lighthearted flirty moments John would look at her affectionately and say, "I'm going to marry you, you know." And without missing a beat, Anna would nod and smile and say, "Someday."

Until one day, her answer changed. Right in the middle of dinner.

"How about next week?" she asked before taking a bite of food. John would have sworn she waited for him to take a drink to drop that one.

"N-next week? You want to get married... next week?"

Anna nodded with a smile. She sat back and watched him let the idea sink in a bit, laughing when he turned to look at the calender on the back of the kitchen door as if he suddenly couldn't remember what day it was. When he turned back, he narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her and folded his arms across his chest.

"My dear, it would give me nothing but joy to marry you," he said, drawing out the words slowly and deliberately. "But I must ask why you want to do it so quickly." Before she could open her mouth to reply, his eyes grew wide. "Anna, are you...? I mean, are you saying that you're...?"

Her face creased in confusion until she understood. "No! Oh, no, I'm not." She giggled at where his mind had gone but stopped when his face fell a bit. "Oh, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but no. That's not why."

"Then why? Is it the family fortune or my fancy alpine chalet? The luxury yacht sprung a leak, you should know, in case that's what has you so eager." He paused to gaze at her, relishing the way she laughed with her whole body, the way her smile reached her eyes. "It can't be that you love me, I'm too unworthy."

"I do love you... silly beggar," she shook her head at him and then exhaled. "It's just that I've been thinking about poor Edith and that mess when Michael disappeared. The police wouldn't tell her anything, even after they found his body, the poor man. All because she wasn't his wife. She still has a lot of questions that might never be answered. And it just made me realize that I'm not your next of kin. And I want to be. I need to be should anything ever happen..." She bowed her head and began to twist her hands in her lap. When she looked up, he stretched his hand across the table to her. She quickly slipped her fingers into his palm.

"Let's get married, then," he agreed, meeting her smile with one of his own. "But are you sure you just want to go to the registry office? We should book a church, invite our friends. Hire a wretched band and throw a party. You should wear a beautiful white dress. There should be tons of flowers, a towering cake made from butter cream. You deserve all of it, Anna."

"I'd rather have the right man than the right wedding," she replied, sounding ever so practical and wise. "But it's your wedding, too, so if you prefer a church wedding..." She trailed off with shrug and a crooked, helpless grin.

"I'd marry you however, whatever, whenever." John stood and pulled Anna into his arms. "I'll book the registry tomorrow. Let's do it."

And they did.

There was an opening for that very Friday. John had his brown suit cleaned and pressed while Anna bought a new dress of white and deep royal blue. They told none of their friends and no fancy words were spoken, just simple vows to love each other and to be faithful no matter what may come. When he slipped the ring onto her finger, Anna thought it didn't feel odd or heavy, only natural as if it had always been there, just like the love they had for each other.

They celebrated at a nearby tea shop, one that acknowledged it's proximity to the registry office with a selection of sweet cakes iced with butter cream and served large enough for two.

John sat back in his chair and watched his bride enjoy the final bite, convinced he was the happiest man to be found anywhere on the planet. He still pinched himself when he considered how someone as beautiful and good-hearted as his Anna would want to be stuck with him for the rest of her life, but he knew that some things were not to be questioned, simply accepted with gratitude.

"You look happy," Anna observed, bringing him out of his thoughts.

"I'm happier than I have a right to be," he answered.

"Still disappointed that you didn't _have_ to marry me, Mr. Bates?" she teased.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Bates," he flirted back. "I plan to give you lots of babies."

"Lots of babies?!" she gasped with a laugh. She leaned toward him and gave him a kiss that tasted of tea and cake and promises of wonders to come. When she finished, she opened her eyes and added without missing a beat. "Someday."

 **Eggs**

John gripped the steering wheel tightly as his wife stared blankly out the window. He hated the wall of silence between them but nothing he ever said seemed to work when she got like this. He slowly reached across and covered her hand resting in her lap. She inhaled sharply at his touch and a tear fell down her cheek when she flinched. She pulled her hand away from his to quickly wipe it away. John returned his hand to the steering wheel and gripped it harder.

The night had started so wonderfully, his Anna laughing and having fun at the annual Crawley Christmas party. She looked so happy and free, without a single shadow of the physical and emotional torture she had put herself through all year. But then Robert announced for everyone to hear that his youngest daughter Sybil was expecting his first grandchild and the next thing he knew he was watching her completely shatter. She bravely congratulated her friend and then quietly pleaded with him to take her home.

"It feels like I'm being punished," she whispered, her voice a dull whisper. John felt his throat tighten and he swallowed hard to get rid of the lump that was growing there.

"You're not," he answer hoarsely.

"Everyone I know is having a baby," she mumbled. He said nothing and they continued another few miles in silence. He sensed her turn to look at him, heard the frustration in her voice. "I've let you down."

"No," he answered quickly, shaking his head. "You haven't..." He pulled the car over to the side of the road and switched off the engine. "You haven't let me down, Anna. You could never let me down."

"But you want a baby as much as I do, lots of babies," she cried. "All around us, remember? That's what you always said."

"Anna..." he exhaled as he said her name. "I did. I did say those things, but my darling I promise you that if we never have a child, I will still consider myself beyond blessed." He reached for her hand again and this time she didn't refuse contact. "I promise you! You are more than enough."

Anna offered him a watery smile but shook her head at his words. "I love you, John. I love you for saying that and wanting it to be true." John winced and choked back a sob. He started the car, threw it into gear and they continued the journey home in silence.

Anna entered the house first. She stood in the middle of the living room as John moved slowly to turn on lamps and draw the drapes across the windows.

"You should go back to the party," she said in a tiny voice. "You shouldn't miss a good time because of me." He shed his coat and flung it onto a chair in exasperation.

"I don't want to go to a stupid party!"

"But-"

"But nothing! Don't you understand? Robert's announcement hurt me, too! I want a baby but I can't have one, too! Please, don't do this, don't shut me out like you're alone in this because you aren't." He took a shuddering breath and stepped closer. "God, Anna, you're everything in the world to me and I need you so much." Anna sniffed a couple times, her body hunching as she struggled to say words.

"It's not fair."

"No, it isn't."

"So unfair," she cried out, finally letting go. John caught her in his arms just as she started to sway. He murmured words of love as he sobbed along with her. They held each other until all their tears were spent and even then neither were eager to let go. After a few minutes, Anna broke the silence. "John?"

"Yes?"

"I want to try again. I'm ready to try again."

He closed his eyes and took a desperate breath at the thought of what those words meant. It had been excruciating to watch her put herself through so much for the chance to be pregnant... the regiments, the injections, the soreness and emotional toll of it all. He stood by helplessly, praying it would finally work, then picked up the pieces when it didn't. He lifted her chin so he could look into her face.

"My darling, are you sure you want to put yourself through all that again?"

"Please, John. I want to have a baby. More than anything." He brushed a few strands of hair away and wiped the tears from her face. He knew it was cruel to go along with it but even more so to deny her.

"All right," he sighed, pressing his lips gently to the top of her head as he pulled her back into his embrace. "All right."

They called the doctor the next day.

 **Milk**

He came home as soon as she called and told him the news. Anna was waiting at the door practically dancing on her toes with nervous excitement, her hand clutched over her heart. He barely had his coat off and hanging on the hook in the hall when Anna pulled him by the hand.

"Is he here?" John asked, his eyes searching the living room as Anna led him toward the sofa. She sat next to him, too restless to be comfortable so she perched on her knees facing him .

"No, not yet. I don't know when he's coming, only that he'll be here sometime today," she answered, the words gushing out of her as if she had been waiting a lifetime to tell someone about it. She trembled with so much pent up joy that he couldn't help but laugh. Finally she squealed and threw her arms around him. "Oh, John, it's happening!"

"Well, tell me! Tell me everything," he said when she released him.

"Well, the girl that called said that it's a boy and he was born three days ago and, oh! You'll never guess what they named him!" She giggled waiting for him to guess but he was simply too thrilled to see his Anna so happy that he just shook his head. "Septimus! Can you believe it? She said they call him Tim for short."

"Then why not name him Tim? I mean, Septimus?!" Anna held her stomach as she giggled again.

"We can call him what we want, though, and have it legally changed at the adoption," she beamed. "So we can have our Christopher John like we always wanted!"

A sudden wave of concern passed through John's mind, and his heart fell a little bit. Less than a year before, Anna came to him and tearfully announced that she was finished with the fertility treatments, she said she realized her dream was to not to give birth but to be a mother. When they decided to become foster parents, they did so hoping and praying that the opportunity to adopt a child would happen someday. They knew there would likely be some heartbreak along the way, but Anna insisted that even if she only experienced being a mother for a day, it would still be better than never being a mother at all. He wanted this so much for her, but he couldn't bear the thought of her getting her hopes up so high.

"Anna, darling, we can't get ahead of ourselves," he warned. "He's our foster son now. We'll love him to pieces but please be careful when you say things like that. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"But that's just it, John, they told me-" Anna was interrupted by a knock on the door. She turned to look at John who stared right back. Neither moved until there was a second knock. "You answer it. Please." He nodded, reached for his cane and moved slowly but steadily to the front hall. He turned and saw Anna clinging to the wall as she watched him get ready to open the door. He took a deep breath and turned the handle.

"Hello, John Bates?" an older auburn-haired woman greeted him with a friendly smile. "I'm Elsie Hughes-Carson, the case worker. Could you...?" She nodded at the car seat she held out to him. He was still speechless as he took it from her, his eyes stuck on the small bundle it held. He turned to bring the baby inside, totally neglecting to invite Elsie to follow.

John was mesmerized as he gently set the seat on the coffee table and pulled Anna closer to have a better look. She had just reached into the seat to pull back the blankets so they could get a better look when Elsie placed another load next to him. A second car seat. This one was full of pink blankets. Their heads snapped up in unison to look at the woman who unceremoniously dropped on to the overstuffed chair near the window.

"Go on and take them out of there, I know you want to," Elsie said with a weary laugh, pulling her gloves off and shoving them in her bag. She pulled out a file and started to shift through some papers. "Don't be afraid. They're wee things but they won't break."

"There's two," Anna finally managed to form words. "We thought... we were told... I mean, we didn't know that there would be two." John nodded, his eyes now fixed on the second car seat.

"Oh, that Ethel," Elsie groaned with a weary sigh. "She's new but God only knows how she missed this particular detail." The woman paused and a look of concern came across her face. "Can you take them both? I mean, I hope you are still willing to take them or I have to go back to the office and start making some calls."

"Oh, yes, it's... John?" Anna nudged her husband who was still fascinated by the sight of babies in his house. He told himself he wanted this for Anna. He suddenly realized that he wanted it for himself, too. "It's ok, Ms. Hughes-Carson."

"Call me Elsie, please. We're going to be quite familiar with each other when this is over and done," Elsie said with a lighthearted chuckle. "Good. Did Ethel at least tell you about the situation we find ourselves in with these two?"

"Situation?" John managed to ask, all the while watching Anna release the harness and lift a sleeping baby from the car seat. She cradled him in her arms and he couldn't help but think it was a perfect fit, that Anna was created to hold babies. He wasn't sure he could breathe.

"This family has been in our system for a while, I'm afraid, and these are the not the first children that have needed our intervention. It's critical and not a good environment for them, the poor dears," Elsie explained as someone who had seen it too many times but was still affected by the reality of it. "The dad is incarcerated and will be for a long time and the mum, well... it's just not safe."

Anna made a sympathetic sound as she stroked the baby's head and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. "Here, John, you hold him." She gestured with her head for him to sit so she could pass the baby to him. "He's a sweet thing, isn't he?" The child fussed only a second as he adjusted to the new pair of arms around him, opened his eyes briefly and then quickly went back to sleep.

"They seem healthy," Anna observed as she lifted a baby girl from the other seat. She seemed smaller than her brother, but simply beautiful.

"They are, miracle of miracles. They're perfect," Elsie nodded, passing them some medical records from the hospital. "You'll need to take them to see a doctor tomorrow, have you arranged for that?" Finally John spoke.

"Y-yes, we've chosen a doctor already." He couldn't take his eyes off the child in his arms. "We'll call them right away."

"I already have," Anna interjected, then gave a small laugh. "I should call again and let them know to expect twins. So, what happens now?"

Elsie moved to sit on the edge of the chair. "Usually we'd come up with a plan for reunification but in this case we are going to file a petition to terminate the parent's rights immediately. The dad won't fight it and the mum abandoned them at the hospital. It's as if she knew we were going to take them anyway. It sounds tragic but for you... and for them... it is good news." She became very serious. "Your file indicated that you ultimately hope to adopt and that is why you were called for this case. Our plan for these two is a permanent home. It is only fair to give you a window of time to think about it, of course, but can I ask if you still-"

"Yes," John said before she could fully pose the question. "We want them, yes. We want to adopt them. Both of them. Right away, as soon as possible, yes. We'll even keep the name Septimus if we have to." Anna grinned tearfully at her husband as she nodded in agreement.

"Oh, lord, we won't make you do that," Elsie chuckled. "Don't get me wrong, Septimus and Gladys are fine names, I'm sure, but... you deserve to name your children what you like."

"Our children," Anna whispered in awe, shifting Gladys in her arms closer to John so they could look at the both babies together. "Oh, John, isn't this the best day ever?" They finally turned their smile to Elsie. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," the older woman said with a touch of emotion. "I'm very happy to be a part of it." She stood up and cleared her throat. "Well, I do have a job to do so, on to the grand tour, shall we? I'd like to see where they're going to sleep, get a bit more information about the doctors and so forth. Then I'll leave you to get acquainted."

It was an hour before the case worker left. Anna quickly fixed two bottles, handing one over to the proud new father. "I'll feed Christopher, and you feed our daughter-to-be-named. I still like Michelle Emma for a name."

"I adore Michelle," John agreed, making room on the sofa for his wife and son. "And I love you. I love you, Anna, and I am so amazed by you. You are such a natural! I loved watching you just take them into your arms and straight into your heart. This has been the most amazing day. I can't believe we are a family."

Anna leaned carefully toward him and pressed her lips to his. "Believe."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

John stood awkwardly in the middle of the shop aisle with a small slip of paper in one hand and not a single clue where to begin. The list Anna made for him was not long, so he assured her he could manage, but as he perused all the products intended for the care and feeding of infants, he felt overwhelmed. And, he had to admit, he felt giddy.

He was sent to fetch more formula and nappies as they were sure to run out faster with twins. Just the thought of them made him stop and grin like an idiot. He didn't care.

As he located each item on the list, he reasoned that the smart thing to do would be buy two of everything. There were two babies, after all, it only made sense. Two bottles of lotion, two boxes of wipes... everything gloriously doubled. He didn't linger once he grabbed the final item on the list. He wanted to get home. His whole world was waiting at home.

He dropped everything onto the check out counter, curious how much it would be, praying it was what Anna wanted him to buy.

"Hey," a voice from behind him barked. "This is the express line." John turned to look at the man in line behind him.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Ten items or less," The man pointed at the sign overhead and then pointed at the pile of things waiting to be priced through. "You've got one extra."

John stared at his purchases and gave a quiet laugh. Doubling everything meant the load of things he meant to buy no longer reflected the short list Anna made for him. One extra. If the man only knew...

He pulled out his phone and quickly swiped to the most recent picture taken; it was both babies cuddled together in the center of their bed while Anna stretched along side them protectively, smiling in total awe. He turned it to show the man behind him.

"Yes, you're right," he said proudly. "I got an extra. But there is nothing in the world that can make me put it back." The stranger took a look, mumbled a reluctant congratulations and went back to minding his own business. John beamed and showed the phone to the cashier who smiled politely.

He swore right then that he would always be thankful for life's extras.


End file.
